Identities
by Starry Lites
Summary: A new threat is coming to Gotham: an enraged army of Amazons. Needing help to defend his city, Batman calls for the help of Superman. However, there is a catch: Diana, princess of the Amazons, proves to be a bigger handful than they ever anticipated.
1. Chapter 1

Superman stepped into the deserted warehouse, scanning and x-ray scanning for movement and life. He found one, just as planned; his associate had brought no one with him. It was nice to occasionally have a meeting in which the other person actually kept their side of the bargain. Neither Superman, nor Clark Kent, were used to that.

A shadow moved out of the darkness and came to rest against a nearby crate, a shadow cast against it from the seeping moonlight through the rafters. Curious, he wanted to see who this man was, but he held the investigative reporter at bay; Clark Kent would get all the information he needed soon enough.

"Thank you for coming," the shadow growled at him.

Superman inclined his head. "It was my pleasure. You spoke of some urgent business you felt we needed to discuss?"

"Yes." The shadow said nothing else, and briefly Superman worried that he would not elaborate. Then the figure stood straighter and started to pace in the shadow of the crate. "I regret to admit that I need your help. My skills will not be enough to face this threat, and Gotham is not the only target. I am sure Metropolis, New York, and Washington all have to fear, too."

Superman folded his arms and stood a bit straighter; he had slouched into Clark's hunch. "What is this threat you are so concerned with?"

Batman finally exposed himself from the shadows, and for a moment Superman was surprised to see that the man matched his height. Actually, as he came closer, Superman could see that he was every bit as broad shouldered, similarly built in the chest, and had hands just as massively large as his own. This man was no fraud; he had worked his body into that shape, and he had to maintain it. Superman couldn't help but be impressed.

Batman stopped about two feet in front of him and held out a book Superman hadn't noticed before. It was a mythology book, opened to a page near the front. The Amazons. "This is our threat."

Superman raised an eyebrow. "A myth?"

"Not myth, Superman. Fact." He snapped the book closed. "Ruled by Hippolyta of Shakespearian fame, daughter Diana at her side. They are vicious flying warriors with year-long PMS, and American engineers accidentally stumbled upon their island."

"Themiscyra."

"Yes. You know your Greek mythology then? I wasn't expecting an alien to keep up on Earth ancient history."

Superman found it best to ignore Batman's comment.

Instead, he cleared her throat. "What plan of action do you have?"

"None so far. My sources know the scientists that found the island were from Gotham University. Our understanding is they have—"

"When you say 'our,'" Superman interrupted, "are these people trustworthy that you have taken into your trust?"

"Yes." He stood like stone, his gaze even colder. After a moment, he continued. "They have decided to aim for Gotham first, as the initial target. I find it highly unlikely that they would stop at Gotham."

"And you need airborne power."

Batman inclined his head. "Yes, that would be preferred."

Superman nodded once. "I'll see what I can do. Meet me here again tomorrow, and we'll discuss this partnership further."

And he was off. Superman needed to do some research, and Clark Kent could do so inconspicuously.

Jason White was no bully, but as he looked down at his sleeve and the dried blood on it, he felt like one. He had been trembling ever since it happened at lunchtime, and he wasn't sure how he was going to be able to show his face at school the next day. Maybe, if he asked nicely, he could convince his parents to let him do home school, or switch schools. That sounded all right, but what if it happened again?

He closed his eyes and let the wind cover his face. He loved the top of the Daily Planet, loved just looking up and staring at the globe. He found comfort in the quiet turning of the tell-tale emblem. He was afraid to go back downstairs; when his dad had picked up him up, he looked anything less than happy. It was not something he really wanted to face, especially when it hadn't been his fault.

The door opened and Jason jumped to his feet, immediately relaxing when he saw a man in a dark suit, wrinkled shirt, and heavy glasses. Clark Kent was never something to be worried about. Actually, most of the time he made things a lot better; he had the right charm about him.

Clark approached Jason, his hands in his pockets. "So your mom told me that you knocked a kid out today? What happened?"

Jason frowned and looked down to the street below. "We were playing touch football. I went to touch him, but he dodged me, and I ended up skidding into him. I knocked my shoulder into his face, broke his nose, and knocked him unconscious as we fell to the ground. I -- got suspended for causing a fight."

Clark frowned and slowly moved closer to him. Jason had never understood why, but any time Clark decided to come closer, usually followed by sitting next to him, Jason felt at peace, or got an overwhelming feeling that everything would be okay.

As if on cue, Clark took a seat on the wall next to him. "Jason, it was an accident. You didn't cause a fight, and that's what is important, right?"

"I guess so," he said quietly. He looked up at the older man and frowned. "Can I ask you a strange question? Not strange, exactly, but not normal?"

Clark shrugged and pushed his glasses farther up on his nose. "I think I'll be able to handle it, sure."

Jason blinked, watching him. Why was it Clark never stuttered in front of him, but in front of his parents or his Uncle Perry he was a mess? "Okay," Jason started, breaking to take a deep breath. "Why do you think my parents haven't bothered to tell me that Superman is my father?"

A breeze rippled through, sending Clark's messy hair into a messier state. He was staring at Jason seriously, as if debating exactly how to answer that question. "I don't know," he said honestly. So he did know.

"So did they tell you?"

"Not -- exactly."

"But he is my father, isn't he? I'm not crazy?"

Clark smiled and ruffled his hair to the point that their hair matched in messiness. "You are definitely not crazy, and eventually they'll either tell you, or something serious enough will happen that they have to tell you."

"Do you think today was serious enough?" He looked hopeful.

Clark didn't seem to have an answer for him. Instead, he took Jason in his arms and hugged him. Although it was usually Clark's answer for the difficult ones, Jason never complained. Something about Clark's hugs made the world a bit brighter.


	2. Chapter 2

"If I may say so, sir, do you really think that you can manage a working relationship with someone like Superman? He doesn't exactly -- do things the way you do them." Alfred was always concerned about what Bruce could and couldn't do. It was natural, of course; it was one of the many reasons his father had hired in him the first place. To tell Bruce what he could and couldn't do. At least there were no 'I told you so's just yet.

Bruce lounged in the study, turning his nose up slightly. They'd been back in Wayne Manor for nearly eight months, and yet it still smelled like fresh paint. A step up from the former asbestos stench, he supposed. Alfred was sitting in his usual armchair across the room. When Bruce wasn't around, he did tend to lounge in it, but with Bruce present, he sat up perfectly straight, back not touching the chair.

Bruce twirled the brandy in his glass, staring at the liquid for a brief moment. "I don't have a choice, Alfred. The Amazons have made it perfectly clear that they're going to attack Gotham. Gotham crimelords I can handle, the occasional psychopath is easy enough. An army of women who can fly with the strength of a hundred men? I don't think so." He downed the rest of his drink.

"Master Bruce, please, think reasonably. I'm not saying your way is better or his way is better, but your methods don't mesh at all. What will happen the first time you run into a disagreement while fighting? There is a reason you choose to work by yourself."

"A common goal, Alfred. A common goal is the best we've got."

"It may not be enough. If you're going with common goals, then you might as well fight with the Amazons. They're attacking to keep their home safe. You're defending to keep your home safe."

Bruce glared. "They are not the same thing."

Alfred did not look convinced, but was smart enough not to say so.

Bruce stood and sighed. "I'm going to bed."

"At seven in the morning?"

"You act like it's unusual." Bruce smiled, waved a bit, and ascended the grand staircase to his bedroom. At least it didn't still smell like paint.

He yawned upon entering his bedroom, and walked over to the drapes to pull them closed, flooding his room in glorious darkness. He turned to pull his shirt off, but thought better of the movement when he felt something cold and pointed against his neck.

He took a deep breath and remained calm. "And what have I done to offend you?"

"Nothing yet. But you plan to." Her voice was melodic, mesmerizing. There was also a hint of danger, very much like the tone that Catwoman loved to speak in. However, Bruce had a feeling that this one was deadlier than his feline foe.

He tried to look back at her, but she tightened the knife against his throat. "Let me guess: am I speaking to the beautiful and deadly Diana of Themiscyra?"

"Don't flatter me."

"Wouldn't dream of it. Can I turn to face you?"

She pushed her knife in further. "No."

Bruce grimaced. "Silly me. Listen, Princess darling, I don't know what your deal is, but I'm not going to attack you."

Diana laughed hoarsely. "It's too late for that. You see, if you weren't Batman, like I know you are, you wouldn't know who I am."

"Ah, but obviously I wouldn't try and lie out of the obvious. What I said was I'm not going to attack you." Acting fast, Bruce twisted and ducked, kicked her feet out from underneath her, and grabbed her knife by the blade. He flipped it just high enough to grab the handle, stepped on her legs at her knees, and held her with the knife just below her neck. "But I will defend myself, and I will defend my city."

It was too dark to see her face well enough, but Bruce could at least tell that she seemed stunned. Her eyes, however, were glared nearly to slits. "Protecting this city isn't worth it. They loathe you, they hunt you, and yet you protect them when they aren't looking. Such a stupid idiotic waste."

"This city needs me, whether they appreciate it or not, and you have no right to attack us for being smart enough to find your protected island." He pressed the blade against her throat. "Rather than staying cooped up all these years, maybe you should have been paying attention to what we've been doing."

Diana growled, turned her body to the side, freeing her legs, and kicked Bruce in the legs. The movement made a slit against her throat, but she ignored it. Bruce grunted as he fell against his balcony door, and he put Diana's knife up in front of him for defense. She stood over him, legs spreas, eyes burning. "We've been watching. The discovery of our island was purely a mistake."

"A mistake? Is that what your mother told you? Diana, my dear, we've gotten smarter, face it."

"Silence!" She kicked his hand, prying the knife out of his grasp, and picked it up off the floor. "I came here to warn you. Don't fight us. If you do, you will die."

Bruce shrugged. "I'm going to die anyway."

"We shall speed up the process."

"Suit yourself." Bruce smiled at her. His stumble against to the balcony door had moved the curtains enough to let in a good slit of light, and he could now see his opponent well. She was gorgeous. Her hair fell around her face and shoulders in loose curls. Her skin was well-tanned, and immaculate. She wore what he could only guess was ceremonial armor: well-molded breastplate with intricate flowers and filigree, armored skirt with the same pattern to her mid thigh, a light silky skirt clinging to her skin underneath, and a regal maroon cape draped at her shoulders. Her feet were bare; they were so beautiful they didn't need any embellishment. She was the image of a Greek god he had always fantasized.

Diana obviously knew what was going on in his head. "Don't get any ideas. You're never touching me."

"That's what you think."

Diana glared again. "You have your warning. If you still choose to fight, your death will be on your own head." With that, she lifted her feet off the ground and pushed the balcony doors open, whooshing out of sight.

Bruce stayed on the ground for a moment. "Damn."

Lois sat staring at her computer, almost as if it was going to give her an answer at any moment. But what computer had the answer to, "Do I tell my son that his father's Superman? How much longer can I delay it?"

Naturally the problem was simple: Jason's smart. He wasn't stupid, he knew that he'd done things that weren't possible for any human being to do. How could he not know that? But how do you tell your son the man you've been living with as his father -- that you still haven't been able to bring yourself to marry -- was only a man willing and in the right place at the right time? The question haunted her, and the so-called story she'd been staring at on her computer was a whole three lines long. At least Richard had enough sense to know that this time, he needed to leave Lois alone. This was her decision to make.

The elevator chimed, and Clark got out. That elevator had come from the roof; before she'd taken to staring at her screen, she'd been staring at the elevator. He'd been talking to Jason again, something he'd been doing more and more, especially the last couple of months. He smiled in his Clark way with a cheesy hand wave, and tripped over to his desk.

It wasn't even five minutes later when she heard, "Lane! Kent!" She had the desire to tell her boss not today, but it didn't work that way. When you got an assignment with Clark, you didn't argue; you just did it. So rather than growling and refusing to go, she sighed and stood up. Naturally, Clark ran into her back.

"Oh! Oh my, Lois. Gee, I'm sorry." He smiled and brushed her shoulder off a little bit, as if it was a strange form of peace offering.

"It's all right, Clark. Don't worry about it." She smiled and then started walking to Perry's office. She caught Richard's gaze, but his expression was unreadable. She looked ahead again.

Clark cleared his throat and came up beside her. "Well, but see, I do worry about it. I seem to run you into more often than I don't and well, that's very clumsy of me and I should be able to pay more attention and -- well, heh, be able to keep myself from running into you. There really is no --"

Lois turned around and smiled at him, putting a firm grip on his arm. "Over-winded apology."

Clark smiled awkwardly. "Right. Sorry."

She smiled again and stepped into Perry's office, trying to look calm and unbothered by Jason. Perry knew that Jason had been suspended for causing a fight, but no one had shared that his eight-year-old nephew had in fact not started a fight at all. Lois took a deep breath. "Yes, Perry?"

Perry's gaze switched from Lois, to Clark, and back again. "I'm sending the two of you to Gotham on extended assignment."

Lois frowned. "What? Why?"

"I don't know, Lois, but there're rumors, rumors that something big is coming to Gotham. I want you both there. I want you to get to the nitty gritty, I need Kent to be your conscience."

"How long? Richard's coming, right?"

"No, Lois. I need him here."

"Perry!"

"You've got a cell phone, don't you? And don't worry, Kent will look after you," Perry said. Lois took a quick glance at Clark, who grinned with a shrug. "I need him here, Lois, and I need you in Gotham."

Lois put her hands on her hips. "You don't even know why you're sending us to Gotham. Clark can go, discover the Gotham night life, have a little fun for once, and when he catches wind of something call for me."

"No," Perry said emphatically. "You will dig something out of the darkest corner. Clark, no offense, would take over a week longer to find something than you would."

Clark nodded. "More truth to that than I like."

Lois sighed and shook her head. "Why now, Perry? I've got enough to deal with right now."

Perry gave her a hard look back. "Take Jason with you if you have to, Lois. Get him out, maybe it'll clear his head, but I need you in Gotham. Your current situation with Jason is not going to get you out of going."

Lois nodded and nervously fiddled with her glasses hanging at her neck. "Got it."


	3. Chapter 3

Lois stood in Richard's office, leaning against his desk and looking down at him. He was leaning back in his chair, breathing in and out deeply. Admittedly, she wasn't sure really what to do; Jason's suspension due to the superpowers was not sitting well with him. Lois leaving for an unknown amount of time was sitting even worse with him. But how could she help that, either one?

Richard sighed and shifted to lean forward against his desk. "You tell me, what do you think we should do for Jason?"

"I think we need to ask him what he wants. He's the one who is being punished for something that as of yet he has no control over. I think he deserves to give us his say."

"Lois, he's eight."

"All the more reason we need to give him the option."

"Lois…" He sighed and rested his head in his arms on the desktop.

She frowned and bent down beside him. "Richard, why are you so worried about this?"

He took a moment to respond, and Lois felt her heartbeat speeding up. These conversations always made her nervous; they always made her fear that things were going to go terribly wrong. Finally, Richard looked back up at her. "I feel like every time Superman has more to do with our lives, the less I have to do."

"Oh, Richard—"

"Lois, you love him. You _still_ haven't married me. Don't you think I've noticed? The closer Jason gets to having to need Superman, and he will need him eventually, the less important I am. I don't know what to do, and you never give me very much comfort."

She didn't, and she knew it. She wanted to marry Richard, but something inside her wouldn't let her. Essentially, she loved a stranger -- Superman, not Richard -- and she was afraid the day would come when she would know that stranger better and she'd want to be with him. As much as she loved Richard, something connected her to Superman, though she didn't know what it was.

"I'm sorry, Richard," she said quietly.

"Yeah, I know." He stood up and started out of the room.

"Where are you going?"

"To talk to my son."

Diana settled down on the stone steps of the palace upon her return from Gotham. She was feeling -- excited. Something about her confrontation with Batman had excited her, and had given her even more drive to do what was right; these people had disturbed their paradise, and now they deserved punishment.

Diana's bare feet tapped against the stone and marble floor as she walked into the throne room and bowed before her mother. Hippolyta motioned for her to rise and Diana did so with a nod. "He is a simple man. He will not be a problem against our forces. Gotham will be ours."

"Good." Hippolyta was a proud and stern woman, but not without her sense of fun. Granted, most of the time her idea of fun included some form of male torture, but she never tortured without purpose. If she was torturing him with weapons, he had earned it. If she was torturing him sexually, well…he was born a man, after all.

Diana hesitated slightly, then said, "The Batman does really want to help, though. Very ideal, more than I am used to in a man."

"Many of them are idealists, Diana. He will prove to be a nuisance and nothing. Have our spies picked up any evidence that he's been speaking with the superpowered men?"

"Not so far, Mother."

"Good. It would be best if it stayed that way."

"Mother, with all due respect, if he were to call on the help of even five of those so-called heroes, we would still be able to overpower them easily."

Hippolyta stood and took Diana by the shoulders. Diana held her ground, without letting the queen intimidate her. "Diana, my dear, you are underestimating them. You always have. If Batman chooses to call on the Kryptonian alone, we will need to be ready."

Diana took her mother's hands off her shoulders and turned to face her. "He's just one man. We are many."

Hippolyta looked hard into Diana's eyes, and Diana had to fight the desire to tear her eyes away. It had been hundreds of years since she had felt any kind of fear towards her mother, but that didn't mean that stare downs had become any easier. "Diana, this is one of the many reasons I worry about the day when you need to take the throne from me."

Diana slimmed her eyes to slits and backed away. "You are growing softer and softer."

"You are growing colder. We are attacking Gotham to make an example. We cannot hide on the island anymore, therefore we need to show that we are a people best left alone. That is the only reason we are doing this. We are not starting a crusade against the world of men."

Diana had a hard time not asking "Why not?" but she managed to hold it back. It was obvious that even if she did suggest it, it would do no good; her mother was in no mood for listening.

When she didn't object, Hippolyta's shoulders dropped a bit and she breathed with slight relief. "You are dismissed." Rather than waiting for Diana to leave, she walked out behind the throne and around to the royal chambers, leaving Diana by herself in the throne room.

Jason walked back into the Planet with his dad, who smiled warmly at him. Watching his dad return to his office, his mom waiting for him, Jason really had no desire to go see them. Clark was sitting over at his desk typing at his computer, and he really would rather talk to Clark.

He walked over to him and hopped up on Clark's desk, who smiled but otherwise didn't acknowledge that he'd shown up. Jason was used to this. "Hey, Clark."

"Hey, Jason. Long time no see."

"Liar."

Clark smiled a little again, but still faced his computer.

Jason watched the words show up on the screen for a minute. "Hey, I'm going with you and Mom to Gotham."

"You are?" Clark asked, betraying what Jason liked to think was excitement. "Well that's wonderful! You can help me keep your mom in line."

Jason grinned and sat up a little bit straighter. "You know how much I love doing that. Do you think Mom will let me spend a night in your room? I think that would be fun, don't you?"

Clark reached forward to ruffle his hair. "Yes, Jason, I think that would be a lot of fun. We'll ask her, okay?"

"Okay." Jason leaned forward, closer to him, pausing before saying anything again. "Do you think we'll see Superman in Gotham?"

Clark turned his chair away from his computer, and Jason inwardly grinned. He loved to throw Clark off with those questions. It was fun.

Clark cleared his throat before looking Jason in the eyes. "Why would Superman be in Gotham, Jace?"

Jason shrugged, but smiled as he jumped off of Clark's desk. "Oh, I don't know, but with the way trouble follows Mom and all that he'd have to come to Gotham, you know?"

Clark smiled again, but this time it wasn't the usual warm smile. "I suppose that's a good point. I'm sure if we need him, he'll show up."

"I'm sure, too. Well, bye, Clark!" Jason threw him one last grin and hopped back to his dad's office.

When he looked back at Clark, he had shut down his computer, and he was staring blankly at his desktop.


	4. Chapter 4

Batman waited in the same warehouse as he and Superman had agreed on the first time. They had neglected to set a time past "after dark before I need to go on my rounds," but Batman couldn't help wondering if Superman was late. Then again, when you can travel faster than sound, is there really any such thing as late? He was sure there was, but without making a conscious decision, he doubted it very much.

The warehouse was dark, the only light shining in from the low-light lamps on the street. It was not the best part of town, but the criminal populous ignored the old warehouse; having Batman raid the place on ten successful occasions tends to do that to a hideout. Still, it didn't hurt to have spy cams running, nor to have C4 packets sprinkled in catastrophic corners.

Batman heard a loud swoop followed by gust of wind. Too fast to be picked up by the motion detectors. It was impressive. He stepped out of the shadows into one of the slivers of light. "Superman."

"Batman." Superman stepped forward, just far enough into the light to give his blue eyes a simple gray color. "I have considered your request. I have no doubts it was a difficult decision for you to make."

"It was. Generally my kind would never turn to a boy in tights for help."

As Batman expected, Superman ignored the insult. "Your kind?"

"We without superpowers."

"Oh. Yes. I will point out that Green Arrow wears tights."

It was Batman's turn to ignore him. It was a simple statement of very little value, but it was a message. If Batman was not going to play totally fair, neither was Superman. It didn't seem to be in the boy scout's character, but Batman had a feeling it would not take long to be able to deduce even a piece of the man behind the suit.

"Did you make a decision?" Batman asked. A trash can tipped over outside, followed by the scuffling of feet much to small to be a human. A moment later his motion detector went off, showing an outline of a cat. _Identified: Feline. Note: Not Catwoman._

Superman raised an eyebrow at the device for a brief moment and cleared his throat. "I have. I have decided this situation could very likely get out of hand, and you will need backup."

"Good. I will be sending you a message in a high radio frequency within a few days. It will give you instructions on how to reach the Batcave. No one else will be able to hear it but you. I will only send it once, so be listening."

Superman inclined his head. "I understand."

Batman paused, looking outside to the street lamp that was giving them light and the light rain that was starting to fall. "Will I be receiving directions to your fortress?"

"No." With that, he was up and out, back through the same hole in the roof, again without setting off the motion detectors.

At least they were clear on the _no expectation of friendship_ unspoken agreement.

Clark sat in his Gotham Palace Hotel suite, looking out over the dreary city. He understood why Batman felt the need to act as darkly as he did, but Clark felt no satisfaction in the work Batman did; Gotham didn't look any better. Gotham deserved a better life than what it led, and it deserved a superhero that didn't have to break the law. Constantly.

And he had come into the lion's den with the woman he loved and their son. If he had to guess, Lois was probably safe; she was headstrong enough that any Amazon would be honored to include her in their ranks. But Jason? Jason was going to be a whole lot harder to hide, and a whole lot harder to keep safe. That was the scary thought: Jason would be harder to keep safe than Lois. There was some serious horror in the very idea of that statement.

When Jason had first told him that he was coming to Gotham with them, Clark had been excited. That was time with Jason without Richard's presence. It wasn't so much that he changed his behavior around Jason without Richard, but there was something easier about it, something that allowed him to feel a whole lot more like a father.

There was a fumbling at the door of his room, the sound of a card being pulled in and out of the slot one, two, three times before it opened. Jason walked in looking sheepish. "Wrong way, but I got it."

Clark smiled. "It's okay, just gives me more warning before you get here."

Jason gave him a glare very much learned from his mother then smiled. "Thanks."

Lois followed a second later, carrying Jason's duffel bag. "Why he couldn't do this himself is beyond me, but hey, what are moms for, right?" She flopped it down onto the second bed in Clark's room, and looked at Jason. "You're sure you want to spend the nights with Clark instead of me?" She was trying to sound upset, but Clark could tell she wasn't very.

Jason grinned again. "I think you'll be okay without me."

Lois laughed, that intoxicating laugh she usually reserved for accomplishments. Jason got it more often than anyone else did. Lois leaned over him, looking like a true mother, and gave him a defensive hug; she frequently did. Jason pulled away, pretending he didn't like it. "Well, Clark, thank you for putting up with him."

"Hey, Lois, you know I never have to put with Jason. We have fun when we get time together."

"Yes, Clark, I know, but I still appreciate it." She ruffled Jason's hair, then resituated her dress. "Well, you boys have fun. I'm off to Wayne Enterprises."

Clark turned his chair around and gave Lois a look, resisting the urge to sound more like Superman. "Gee, Lois, why would you want to go to Wayne Enterprises?"

Lois shrugged and put on her best innocent smile…which looked about as guilty as they come. "Seems silly to come to Gotham and not at least try to get an interview with Bruce."

"Bruce? You're on a first name basis?"

Lois didn't give a response, just smiled and gave a half wave. "I'll see you boys later." And just like that, Lois Lane was off to storm Wayne Enterprises. And Clark swore to himself.

It was apparently out loud. "What was that for?" Jason looked at him curiously.

Clark met his gaze and laughed. "Oh, just your mother going off to get in trouble. It's never a good thing."

"I guess that's true." Jason grinned. "So, what have you got planned while we wait for her to get in trouble?"

Clark smiled.

Much to Clark's surprise, Lois never did yell for help, at least she hadn't by midnight. Gotham was too busy and too loud to be able to pinpoint her voice, but her heartbeat he had memorized a long time ago. He kept his ear on it, and it hadn't sped up much since she left; whatever she was up to in Bruce Wayne territory, she was behaving herself.

Meanwhile, he and Jason had a quiet night. He considered going and doing his rounds in Metropolis, but with Lois in Gotham, he figured the greater risk for something to go wrong was there, not at home.

Jason had been asleep for a couple of hours, sleeping soundly in his bed. Clark occasionally smiled over at him, enjoying having his son so close, feeling even slight responsibility for him. It was nice to feel responsibility for someone other than a trouble-making Lois.

After a quick check to make sure Jason was asleep, Clark spun out of his work clothes and into a t-shirt and boxers, turning off the light to slip in between his own covers.

Clark hadn't been in bed ten minutes when Jason yelped. "Clark! Help!"

He was on his feet in a split second, but Jason wasn't under his covers. He looked around the room, heartbeat going faster than it had in a long time. Then, he looked up. Jason was suspended in the air, his body hovering just below the ceiling. "Jace, how'd you get up there?"

"I -- I don't know! I wake up from dreams like this sometimes, but usually I fall as soon as I wake up. Why am I still up here?"

"I don't know…" Clark frowned. Anytime he had woke up floating as a kid, he too had just fallen back to his bed, just like any other kid who jumped in their sleep. "Jason, I want you to relax -- "

"I'm ten feet off the ground and you want me to RELAX?"

"Jason, really, you can relax yourself off the ceiling, I promise. Just concentrate on your bed and getting back to it."

Clark watched him nervously, and saw him squint his eyes shut tight. It was a look of too much concentration, and if he tried to get down concentrating so hard, he wasn't going to make it. It was the same problem as overthinking a test problem only to get it wrong. "Concentrate" had been a bad word choice.

"Clark…I'm still UP HERE!"

"Jason, don't yell, these walls aren't very thick."

Case and point, just a moment later he heard rustling in the room next door; Lois had come home when he wasn't listening. "We don't have very much time, so please, just relax and let your body carry you back down. It won't be that hard, Jason, really."

"That's easy for you to say. I can't relax."

"Stop -- " Lois' door opened. " -- Trying. Don't try, and it'll go faster."

"WHAT?!"

Lois had Clark's spare card out, got ready to stick it into the door, and Clark sighed. Thinking fast, he rushed up to the ceiling, grabbed Jason, yanked his glasses off the nightstand, and sat down on Jason's bed with Jason in his lap. Jason looked less than thrilled.

Lois got the door open and burst in, pounding the light switch. "What is going on in here?"

Clark looked between Jason and Lois and he smiled lightly. "Jason just had a pretty vocal bad dream, Lois. We've got it taken care of. He was hard to wake up."

Jason looked up at him before looking at his mom with a shrug. "Sorry I woke you up, Mom."

"I wasn't asleep yet. I just barely got home." Her gaze kept shifting between the two of them, almost as if she expected one of them to crack.

"Oh? Well, did you have fun at Wayne Enterprises?" Clark asked conversationally.

Lois gave him a look to mean there was going to be no discussion of the type and he left it alone…for now. "We're sorry if we scared you, but everything should be all right now. You just ahead and go to sleep, and we'll climb back into bed, too."

"Really, Mom, it was just a bad dream. I'm fine now." Jason nodded.

Lois was still eyeing them suspiciously, but after another ten seconds of stare down, she nodded and walked out the door.

As soon as she was gone, Jason looked up at Clark exasperatedly. "Did you seriously have to wait til the last second to get me down?"

Clark shrugged. "I was trying to teach you to do it on your own."

"Next time, just get me off the ceiling. Leave the teaching for later." His tone was tired, but Jason smiled.

Clark nodded and smiled back.


End file.
